2023 Orca winners announced

AUCKLAND, Wednesday: The 2023 Outstanding Radio Creative Awards and Student Orca winners have been announced. With a swathe of awards (including a Gold Lion) already gracing their shelves, it surprised few to learn that that Colenso BBDO’s Simon Vicars, Hadleigh Sinclair and Callum McDonald have walked away with a Grand ORCA for Skinny’s Phone It In.

And it was another double-whammy year for FCB’s Tim Gavriel and Aaron Carbines – this is the second consecutive year the pair have scooped both a Grand ORCA and The People’s Choice (the latter for the past five years in a row).

AUT’s Keeley James and Brooke McGrath were hot on their heels and took the runners-up spot with their Mafia Money campaign for ASB.

Judging in all categories was based on four criteria – creativity, execution, effectiveness, and innovation.

The 2023 judges were Alex Metson (Clemenger BBDO Wellington), Anne Boothroyd (anneboothroyd.com), Kristal Knight (Ogilvy) and Steve Cochran (Saatchi & Saatchi).

The 2023 Student ORCA Judges were Rory McKechnie (DDB), Matt Williams (DDB) and Matt Watts (Chemistry).

The judges praised the high standard of entries this year, but were unanimous in their pick for the winners in every category.

“The judges were unanimous in their picks for the winners in every category.”

The Grand ORCA |Standard Campaign
Colenso BBDO – Skinny Phone It In.
Simon Vicars, Hadleigh Sinclair and Callum McDonald
$ 5000 cash prize and a $ 5000 radio advertising schedule.

The Grand ORCA |Non-Standard Campaign
PAK’nSAVE; FCB Aotearoa – The Soundtrack Hack
Tim Gavriel and Aaron Carbines
$ 5000 cash prize and a $ 5000 radio advertising schedule.

The People’s Choice Award
PAK’nSAVE; FCB Aotearoa – The Soundtrack Hack
Tim Gavriel and Aaron Carbines
$ 2000 cash prize and a $ 2000 radio advertising schedule.

The Student ORCA
Media Design School; Volkswagen New Zealand – A Contradictory Car
Frey McCahon-Jones and Reece O’Gorman
$ 700 cash prize.